New Member of the Team
by socialgal5
Summary: When Bridget Sullivan dies on a mission, a new female team member is brought in. Is it possible that this is the girl who will finally make Charles Grey want to settle down?STORY HAS BEEN CHANGED! PLEASE READ! NEW CHAPTERS UP SOON!
1. A cup of coffee and a business card

I was standing in line at Starbucks, tapping the toe of my Justin cowboy boot impatiently. My first meeting at Aerodyne Alliance was in thirty minutes and , because I was unfamiliar with the route to the building, I had wanted to allow myself extra time. Instead, I was standing here waiting to buy a four-dollar cup of coffee.

"Long line, huh?" the guy in front of me commented, turning around and smiling. In once quick glance, he had "checked me out."

"Yeah, and despite the fact that patience is a virtue, it's one I really don't possess!" I laughed, casually surveying him as well.

He wasn't very tall—about my height, with dark hair cropped close. Military was my guess, but I couldn't be certain. He was handsome and had the air of someone who was slightly cocky. Almost like a fighter-pilot.

"Do you come here often?" he asked me. "Cause I'm here every morning at the same time, and I've never seen you."

"I'm new in town," I told him, shifting the strap of my knock-off Prada handbag. "I have a business meeting in half an hour and I wanted some coffee before I went, but I think I may have to do without."

The line moved slowly and I realized that the only thing between me and placing my order was two people. That included the man in front of me.

"Nah, don't do that. It'll move faster than you think, and once you order, they'll get it out to you really fast," he told me. Then, he stuck out his hand "I'm Charles Grey."

"I'm Elle," I introduced myself, shaking his hand firmly. "And thanks for the advice.

The line moved again and the guy in front of me gave the young woman working there his order, then turned around to me. "What'll you have?" he asked.

"What? Oh no, I couldn't let you pay for my coffee," I objected.

He smiled and his dark eyes twinkled. "Sure you could. Now, tell her what you want or I'll order you the craziest thing they have."

When my cup of coffee came out along with Charles', I thanked him again for buying my drink. I knew it was just a nice way to make a move on me, but it was nice. Starbucks coffee wasn't cheap.

"Hey," he called to me, coming out the door as I got into my Ford Focus. "Would you have dinner with me sometime?"

I blushed slightly and laughed. "I might."

"Here's my card," he said, handing me a small white business card. I scanned it quickly and nearly choked on my coffee. "You okay?" he wanted to know.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied. "So, you work at Aerodyne Alliance. That's cool."

_Okay, so this was just a beginning. I've always felt like Grey needed a good love interest—someone that he really had to pursue__**. Let me know what you think! More coming VERY soon. **_


	2. Elle Charlton

**I hadn't written on this in a while, but I've been re-inspired. Please note that none of this is part of the actual UNIT episodes and that I do NOT own anything but the character of Elle Charlton.**

When he got to the office ten minutes later, Grey whistled a lively tune as he walked in the door. It wasn't every day that he met a hot girl in the line at Starbucks.

"Did you run over another cat on your way to work, Betty Blue?" Bob asked, noticing his friend's good mood.

"Nope. Found me a beautiful new girl at the coffee shop this morning. She said she'd go out to dinner with me and all I had to do was buy her a cup of coffee." Grey tossed his empty cup in the trash can from ten feet away and whistled at his own shot.

"Did you get her number?" Jonas wanted to know, sitting at a desk.

"Well...actually, I gave her mine. She's gonna call me so we can make plans," Charlie explained.

"Like hell she'll call you!" Mack scoffed, always the voice of doom. "You gave her _your _number? She'll never call you. That was just an excuse to lose you, my friend."

"Whatever," Charlie said, sitting down at the conference table with Bob and Mack. "Say, what's the new recruit like?"

"She's going to be great," Jonas declared. "Too bad you missed that training mission." The taller black man shook his head.

"Yeah, well somebody has to do some real work around here," Charlie threw back at him.

"She's definitely well-trained," McBride pointed out. He was glad he would no longer be the "new kid" on the team. He'd had enough of that. Besides, from what he'd seen, this new girl was hot!

Bridget Sullivan, call sign Red Cap, had been killed four weeks ago in a mission in Afghanistan. Her family had been told that she died in a tragic car accident, but the rest of the team knew she'd really died from a gunshot wound to the chest.

"Hey, she's here," Sam called from his seat behind the security cameras. "Looks like she dressed up a little for the occasion.

"Let me see her," Charlie called, hurrying over to the screens. At one glance, he swore loudly. "Damn it!"

"What's wrong?" Bob wanted to know, whirling around, ready for action.

"That's her. That's the girl I hit on at Starbucks," Grey told them.

I had laughed until I was within one block of Aerodyne Alliance. That poor guy was going to feel so stupid when he found out that I was his new teammate. Sgt. Blane had told me that one of his men had been absent during the training mission, but he hadn't said what he looked like. The card, however, had given it all away.

When I neared the building, I began to get nervous. This was the job of a lifetime and I began to think about my life from here on out. I really didn't exist anymore. It didn't matter—I'd been born to parents who didn't want me, been given up for adoption and taken in by an older couple who had never had children. By the time I was eighteen, my father had died of a heart attack and then, at age twenty, I lost my adoptive mother to breast cancer. That's when I joined the military and right away, I'd shot to the top of the program. Training didn't phase me; I welcomed the pain and hardships I had to endure. They were challenges and I never was one to give up on a challenge.

When I walked up the path to the building, I was almost trembling and breathing seemed unusually difficult. I was more nervous than I'd ever been before in my life.

"It's good to see you again, Elle," Bob greeted me, opening the door for me and greeting me with a firm handshake.

"You too," I replied, smiling and appreciating his warm welcome.

Inside, Jonas, Sam, and Mack all greeted me with handshakes as well. I felt like I'd been accepted already, until I came face to face with Charles Grey, the other team member who I hadn't met.

"Well, this is a little...awkward," I laughed. "I should've told who I was."

"No, you did the right thing," Grey told me, smiling and shaking my hand. "I could've been lying about where I worked."

"True," I replied. "And for the record, my coffee was worth the wait."

"I hate to break up this reunion, but we've got work to do," Jonas told everyone. "I just got the call. We're leaving for Paris in two hours. Elle, I'd like to say we were going to break you in slow, but you're going to one of our main operatives on this one."

I nodded. "That's not a problem, sir."

"Don't call him sir!" Mack, Bob, Charlie, and Sam all said at the same time.

In two hours time, we were on a commercial flight to Paris, France, all seated in coach class. To maintain cover, the entire team was scattered out over the airplane. Instead of being given folders to brief us, it had been up on IPODS and I was listening to my mission over and over again. Apparently, I'd been given the call sign "Twilight".

_Betty Blue will be posing as an Israeli arms dealer. Twilight will pose as his wife. The two must make contact with Claude Benoit, a French terrorist who appears, by daylight, to be a French businessman. Your mission is to make a deal with him, which will hopefully lead us to find out who he's working for. Snake Doctor and Dirt Diver will be covert while Cool Breeze and Whiplash will be acting as bodyguards for the primaries. Further information will await you upon your arrival in Paris. _

I leaned back against the seat and turned the Apple IPOD off, taking a deep breath. Posing as Betty Blue's wife would be extremely awkward, but I was determined to prove myself to the team, no matter what it took.


	3. Undercover in Paris

It was 3AM when we landed in Paris and I was exhausted, but determined to keep up with my five male teammates. Never would I let them think I was weaker than they were.

Our first stop was a safe-house in the slums of the city. Waiting there were clothes for all of us, a little "spending money" that looked like close to ten thousand dollars when I counted quickly, and weapons for everyone.

I looked at the rack of clothes that had been selected for me, all in my sizes. Some of the formal gowns were rather revealing and provocative, but I shrugged it off. Beside my weapon were three jewelry boxes and a manila folder. I opened the boxes and whistled.

"They're fake," Bob assured me, checking the ammo in his clip.

I touched the fake emeralds, diamonds, and rubies with my fingertips. "They're still shiny. And remember, guys, diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but cubic zirconia is her _second_ best friend."

Mack laughed. "I'll have to remember that the next time Tiffy asks for nice jewelry."

After carefully examining my handgun to make sure it was in prime condition, I opened the folder and began reading the information that was inside. My role was that of Amy David(pronounced da-VEED). I was an Australian who had gone to Israel on a mission trip. Once there, I'd met my husband, Ari David. We had fallen in love, got married three years ago and had just learned we were expecting our first child. I was two months along.

"Wow!" I gasped, not thinking about the fact that everyone around me could hear me.

"What?" Sam wanted to know.

I grinned embarrassedly and arched my back a little, then held the small of my back like I'd seen so many pregnant women do before. "Apparently, we're expecting Baby Unit. Due in seven months."

The rest of the team laughed with me. I seemed to be fitting right in. They all had a sense of humor and seemed very much at ease, even though we were all about to go undercover.

"Let's go over the plan," Jonas told us a short time later. "At seven in the morning, Mack and I will arrive at the hotel for shift change. Disguised as room service, we will sweep your room for bugs. My guess is that Benoit will have the room wired with a microphone and maybe a camera too. We need to be prepared for those things."

"Beniot owns the hotel, right?" McBride asked, looking up from his folder.

"That's right," Jonas replied. "He most likely has spies all through the place to keep open ears, so be very careful what you say or do around any of the staff. Now, back to the timeline; we'll arrive at seven. The rest of you will arrive around ten." Jonas turned in my direction and spoke to me and Grey, who was standing by my side. "Betty Blue and Twilight, spend the day lounging about the hotel. I want you to meet Beniot in some way—Betty, you go for Benoit, Twilight, you make a connection with the girlfriend. You need to get an invitation to dinner in the private dining room of the hotel."

"Understood," I replied, nodding wearily. Trying to process all this information so early in the morning was difficult.

"All right everyone," Jonas wrapped it up. "Try and get a few hours of sleep."

I collapsed on a single bed in one of the two bedrooms. Dirt Diver(Mack) fell asleep on bed across the room from me. Eventually, the small house grew quiet, but I didn't fall asleep just yet. My mind was racing nervously as I practiced my Australian accent in my head. Ever since I was a little girl, I'd had the ability to imitate foreign accents flawlessly, but now I was beginning to worry a little. Actually, a lot.

Then, I thought about how the team was trusting me so early on in the game. I was one of the primaries on this mission and in an instant, the nervousness vanished and was replaced with a confidence. I pulled a blanket up around my body and fell asleep quickly after that.

The next morning, at ten o'clock sharp, our limo pulled out at the hotel entrance.

"Let's do this," Bob said, climbing out of the front seat where he had been sitting with Whiplash, who was driving.

I took a deep breath as Cool Breeze opened the door for Charlie and me. I was dressed in a posh little mini dress with a pair of high heels that were already killing my feet. Betty Blue climbed out and then held out his hand for me.

"Sweetheart, you coming?" he asked, already in character.

"Of course," I replied, putting on my Australian accent right away.

The bell hop was waiting with a cart to get our luggage and Sam(Whiplash) helped him unload it while Cool Breeze headed inside in front of us, looking around sharply. Truth be told, Bob was carrying a gun and several extra clips, Grey had a 9mm on him, McBride was carrying one as well, and I had a knife hidden down the side of my dress, covered by the fashionable ruffle that ran down the side. We were all well-armed.

At the front desk, Charlie checked in while I draped myself over his arm. Bob glanced around cautiously, noticing all the security cameras and the various people mulling about in the lobby. Nobody looked suspicious.

In five minutes, the three of them were on their way upstairs.

"The room's got a microphone and a camera in it," Dirt Diver announced through my earpiece, which was tuned to the same frequency that all the other team members' was.

"We got it," Betty Blue breathed as the elevator doors opened. A skinny brunette in short white bathing suit cover-up was waiting to get on as we got off. I recognized her from the pictures that I'd seen of Beniot's girlfriend, Vanessa. She looked anorexic from what I could tell, which didn't surprise me.

"Excuse us," I told her, walking past with my arm still linked through Charlie's. She did a double take when she heard my unusual accent and I knew I'd made an impression on her. She would remember me.

The hotel room was the most lavish I'd ever seen. Of course, I was a Holiday Inn type of girl, anyway. McBride and the bell hop were right behind us with the luggage and after it was all situated in the room, I walked out onto the balcony for a better look. Paris wasn't what I had expected, but I could see the Eiffel Tower standing tall in the city nearby.

Walking back into the room, I saw that Cool Breeze and Whiplash had gone back out into the hallway to take their positions at the door as our bodyguards.

"I think I'll go down to the pool," I remarked, raising my eyebrows to Charlie, alerting him of my plan.

"I'll do the same," he replied.

I rummaged through the suitcase I'd packed hurriedly at the safe-house and found one of the tiny bikinis that made me blush to think about wearing. Suddenly, I realized that I was going to have to change in the same hotel room that Charlie Grey was in. My hands began to tremble again.


	4. Making a Move

Grey obviously recognized the awkwardness of the situation and headed to the bathroom after grabbing his swim trunks out of his duffel bag. While he was in there, I quickly changed into my bikini, thinking to myself that someone was most likely watching the cameras that they had in the room.

When Charlie emerged from the bathroom, he was blown away by the sight of his teammate in a skimpy swimsuit. Her body was tanned and muscular and the contrast between her long blonde hair and her brown body was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen.

"You ready to go down?" Elle asked, pulling a small sundress on over her swimsuit.

"Uh...yeah," Charlie replied hurriedly. "Sure. Let's go."

When the two of them emerged from the hotel room, it took everything Sam McBride had not to let out a whistle. Elle Charlton looked incredible—like a supermodel. Bob coughed when he saw Whiplash's gaze directed towards Elle's butt.

"Keep your mind on the job," Bob muttered. "Not on Twilight."

McBride glared at Brown. "I wasn't," he declared, still not convincing Cool Breeze.

Downstairs, Charlie and I headed out to the pool. His arm was around my waist tightly where it seemed to fit perfectly. Even I could feel the connection between us. It was definitely there.

"I'm going to head to the bar," he whispered into my ear. I could feel his warm breath blow my hair a little and I almost shivered from his closeness. I could see Beniot sitting at the poolside bar, but his girlfriend was swimming in the large pool.

"I'll be practicing my front-flip," I told him, smiling as if I was telling him something sweet and endearing, slipping my earpiece out and into his hand so the water wouldn't short the wiring.

Charlie smiled at me too and I had to catch my breath, dazzled by his smoldering brown eyes. With a kiss to his slightly scruffy cheek, I headed towards the high diving board, desperately searching for a way to clear my head. I had promised myself that this wouldn't be awkward, and it wasn't. I was attracted to Charles Grey and, since we were both in the Unit, that wasn't a wise thing.

Once on the diving board, I had a good view of everyone. Betty Blue was at the bar, just beginning to make small talk with Benoit. Vanessa, the girlfriend, was lounging on a float in the crystal blue water. Cool Breeze was standing nearer the pool, keeping his eye on me and everything going on around him. Whiplash was close to the bar, doing the same thing.

I ran down the board, pushed my toes off the end, somersaulted through the air and then sliced through the water in a perfect dive. From afar, Whiplash and Betty Blue admired her perfect form.

"Must've been on the swim team," Whiplash said to himself, ogling his new teammate inappropriately.

"Focus," Cool Breeze told him through the earpiece. "Don't make me say it again."

When I surfaced, I was right next to Vanessa's float, just like I'd planned. "I'm sorry," I apologized, trying not to go too heavy on the accent. "I hope I didn't splash you just now."

"No, you didn't," she replied graciously, smiling and showing off her beautiful white teeth. Porcelain veneers, I guessed, which weren't cheap on any continent.

"I didn't really look to see if anyone was in the pool before I jumped in," I explained, swimming to the side and pulling myself up to sit on the edge.

"Are you an Australian?" Vanessa asked me, pushing her sunglasses up on top of her head.

I nodded. "Yes, that's right. Melbourne, to be precise."

"I just love to hear people talk in an Australian accent," Vanessa gushed, paddling over to the side where I was sitting. " Say something really...truly...Australian."

"Look at my wife," Charlie remarked Benoit casually. The Frenchman was standing close to him at the bar. "We've been here five minutes and she's already started up a conversation with a total stranger."

The guy laughed a little. "Oui. My girlfriend is the same. She is the one your wife is talking too."

Charlie extended his hand to the man. "I'm Ari David," he introduced himself.

"Claude, and it is a pleasure," Benoit said, shaking Charlie's hand and bowing a little. "Pakistan? Afghanistan?"

"Israel," Charlie corrected him. "Tel Aviv."

"Things are getting pretty dicey over your way, no?" the Frenchman remarked, sipping his martini casually.

Charlie shrugged as if it didn't really matter to him. "Yeah, somewhat. I'm out of the country a great deal on business."

"Must be some risky business you're involved in," Benoit commented. He had already done research on his mysterious guest. No one came in and out of that hotel without Benoit knowing about it, especially someone who came from the Middle East.

"What makes you say that?" Charlie asked, narrowing his eyes and looking at Claude suspiciously.

"The two bodyguards you have with you, although I have to say that the one nearest you seems to be eyeing you wife somewhat." Obviously, this Frenchman didn't miss a thing and Charlie silently cursed Whiplash for gazing at Elle too much. He made a mental note to chew his teammate out later, even though it wasn't McBride's fault that Elle had to wear the string bikini.

"I'm in the weapons business," Charlie told him. "I deal with top dollar clients."

"Hmm...I might know of someone who is interested in discussing business with you. Perhaps you would join me for dinner tonight?"

"Well, I don't usually discuss business while I'm on vacation, but in this case, I might make an exception." Charlie shrugged carelessly.

"Shall we say eight o'clock, Monsieur David?" Benoit suggested.

"Perfect," Charlie replied, downing the last of his rum and Coke, which had been mostly Coke on orders from him. Drinking a lot of alcohol on missions was not allowed, even if it was for an undercover mission.

"Ari!" I called, strolling over to Charlie and draping my arm around his neck. He slid his arm around my bare waist and I felt his fingers against my bare skin, sending tingles up my spine. "I'd like for you to meet Vanessa. Vanessa, this is my husband, Ari David."

"It's a pleasure, Vanessa," Charlie greeted Benoit's girlfriend. "I just met your boyfriend. Amy, this is my husband, Ari."

As all the introductions were being made, I took a deep breath, realizing that our cover was working. Benoit was buying the entire thing, hook, line and sinker. But, my rule number seven was that when things seemed to be going perfectly, all hell was usually about to break loose.


	5. Convincing Them

After dining beside the pool for lunch, Charlie and I headed back upstairs, flanked by our "bodyguards." I wanted to get out of that ridiculous swimsuit, especially since Whiplash hadn't been able to take his eyes off of me since I put it on. He was putting us all at risk. At least Charlie kept his cool about the whole thing, never showing it if he felt the same tingling sensations as I did when we touched. It disconcerted me more than anything I'd ever felt in my life.

When we got back to our hotel room, I quickly went into the bathroom and changed. Charlie had returned my earpiece to me as soon as possible and Top's voice came through it while I was pulling my skirt back on.

"Twilight, this needs to seem more realistic. He's your husband and I want whoever is on the other end of that surveillance camera to believe it. Make it look real. Forget about who you really are and remember what role you're playing."

I nodded to myself in the mirror. Charlie had also heard those words, too, through his earpiece and I wondered if he felt the awkwardness of the situation as keenly as I did. Awkwardness aside, I couldn't let myself screw up this mission. I walked out of the bathroom and saw a gleam in his eye. He had gotten the memo too.

"So, what do you think of this hotel, baby?" he asked, slipping his strong arms around my waist. His term of endearment came so naturally.

"I think it's wonderful—just like you said it would be. I love it," I told him, looping my arms around his neck and swallowing hard, despite my brave smile.

Charlie leaned close and pressed his mouth against mine lightly. My eyelids fluttered shut and I sighed unconsciously. I wasn't acting here—no kiss had ever felt so incredible. Each one was more heated than the last. I felt Grey backing me towards the bed and, before I knew it, I was lying on the quilt on my back with him on top of me. Our mouths moved perfectly in sync and our bodies were practically molded together. I began fumbling with the buttons on his shirt and before I was halfway done, he pulled it over his head.

"Yours next," he breathed, his breathing more normal than mine was. Mine was coming in short, desperate gasps. He tugged playfully at the hem of my shirt.

I shivered before I realized it. My arms were covered in goose-bumps, my hands were trembling, and my heart was pounding in my chest as I let him pull it over my head. Thank goodness I still had on a thin white camisole.

Grey leaned down and ran a trail of light, airy kisses down my neck, all the way to my collarbone. I moaned quietly and arched up against him, not wanting him to stop, but praying that he would before we took this too far. How far did we have to go to keep our cover.

"Don't be nervous," Charlie whispered into my ear. "You're doing fine." He pinned my arms down on either side of me.

"Just...remember.." I pleaded, "...I'm pregnant." Using my cover to maintain my modesty was something I dared to stoop too.

Charlie grinned and kissed the hollow at the bottom of my throat gently. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I'm not going to hurt you...or the baby." A peculiar tone in his voice made me strongly suspect that he was smiling.

For the next fifteen minutes, we stayed on the bed, making out feverishly. I had never kissed anyone so passionately. Nothing had ever felt so blissfully wonderful. It felt wrong to enjoy something so completely, especially when it was considered part of my job.

After a while, Charlie finally rolled over and rested on the bed beside me, still holding my hand tightly.

"Good job you two," Mack's voice came through the earpiece. "We've got a camera in the room, you know."

I coughed hard suddenly. Jonas and Mack had seen the _whole _thing—every kiss and touch.

"You all right, sweetheart?" Charlie asked me, looking over at me.

I smiled demurely. "Just so happy, Ari. So...happy."

Later that evening, I began getting ready for our dinner with Claude and Vanessa. I sat at the ornate vanity and applied some heavy makeup to my face, trying to bring out the blue in my eyes with a dark green eye shadow.

"You look beautiful," Charlie told me simply, coming out of the large bathroom with his tuxedo on.

I smiled at him, getting more and more comfortable with our ruse every minute. "You look pretty good yourself. Rather like an Israeli James Bond."

Charlie leaned down and kissed my hair, which was still wet from the shower. "Wear the blue dress tonight, will you? It's my favorite."

I looked up into his dark, smoldering eyes. "If you would like for me to, I will."

In the closet, I examined the blue dress. It was long and both the neckline and the back plunged. I rolled my eyes—Charlie just _had_ to pick the blue one. I took my robe off and slipped into the dress, the satin gliding over my skin flawlessly. This gown had to be designer, not department store. I may have been a girl in the military, but I knew nice clothing. I liked nice clothing, but could rarely afford them.

When Elle emerged from the closet, Charles Grey knew he would never forget this sight. She was incredible—the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. Her long blonde hair draped down over her shoulders and the fake diamonds wrapped around her long, willowy neck. She looked up at him from beneath her long, dark lashes.

"Are you sure this is the one you want me to wear?" she asked quietly, nervously fidgeting with the ruffle that ran down the side.

"You look amazing, Amy," Charlie told me, taking my hand in his and kissing it lightly. "Ready to go downstairs for dinner?"

I nodded silently, slipping my hand into the crook of his elbow. I had never worn something this revealing before and one look at myself in the full-length mirror had completely disconcerted me. Usually a modest person, I was utterly embarrassed at seeing myself this way.

When Twilight and Betty Blue emerged from the hotel room, Sam McBride had to force himself to breathe regularly. This wasn't right—she was going to catch the eye of every man in the hotel, not just his. Elle Charlton was the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen in his life. Too bad for him that Charles Grey was thinking the exact same thing at that very moment.


	6. An Unwelcome Attempt

_Sorry it has been so long since I've written. I lost my momentum for the story until now, but I really want to finish the story now. _

We met Benoit and his girlfriend in the lobby. They, too, were flanked by bodyguards.

"You look very lovely this evening," Benoit greeted me, kissing the top of my hand. I almost flinched, but didn't.

"Merci beaucoup, monsieur," I replied sweetly.

"Hey, don't be flirting with my wife," Charlie stepped in, taking my hand away from the Frenchman. "No one holds her hand but me."

"My apologies," Benoit hastened to say. "I meant no disrespect by it, I assure you."

"Claude kisses all the ladies' hands," Vanessa spoke up, draping her long, skinny arm over his shoulders. "Its a French custom."

"Where I come from, the customs are boring," Charlie laughed. "For instance, my wife would not be able to wear this fabulous creation, simply because it would be considered immodest."

"Fortunately for us, I don't come from your bloody country, darling," I reminded him, the accent coming out with my use of a traditional Outback word.

"Yes, lucky us." Charlie leaned in and kissed my mouth softly. I ignored the fireworks that went off inside my head.

"Well," Beniot finally said, " shall we all head to dinner? I had the chef prepare something very special for us tonight."

When we were seated at the table, I unfolded my napkin and placed in my lap, not wanting to mar the beautiful gown. Mack, disguised as a waiter, came around with a bottle of wine and began pouring glasses for everyone. When he got to me, I stopped him.

"No wine for me, monsieur," I protested. "Merci."

"Are you sure?" Mack persisted in a very French accent.

"Oui," I told him forcefully.

When he was gone, Benoit looked at me strangely. "That was a two-thousand dollar bottle of wine, Madame David. Are you sure you don't want to try a glass."

I shook my head, smiling proudly. "No thank-you, Monsieur Benoit. You see, my husband and I are expecting our first child, so I don't want to endanger the baby's life in any way."

Benoit smiled and I was amazed to see that it was genuine. He truly was happy for us. "May I offer my congratulations," he told us. "I am sure you will both make wonderful parents." He held up his water glass, instead of his wine glass, and proposed a toast, which we all drank to.

"Now, Mr. Beniot, you said that you knew someone who might be interested in what I sell. What more can you tell me about this person?" Charlie wanted to know, setting his glass back down and squeezing my hand gently.

"The buyer is myself," Benoit informed him. "I am looking for some top-of-the-line weapons. What can you offer me?"

"Whatever you want," Charlie told him. "Anything."

Mack, still disguised as a French waiter, came in with our meal at this point and Benoit quickly grew quiet.

"Perhaps, after dinner, you would come to my office and discuss it with me? We should not trouble these elegant women with boring business conversations," he suggested carelessly, as if they were going to talk about the price of food in the local supermarket.

"That would be perfect."

After dinner, Charlie went with Benoit upstairs to his office, accompanied by Bob. I would much rather have had Cool Breeze with me, but somehow Whiplash ended up being the one who escorted me back upstairs to the room. In the elevator, his arm brushed up against mine and I immediately moved as far away from him as I could.

"I won't bite, you know," he told me.

I forced myself to smile. "I never thought you would," I replied coldly. "But I don't believe in tempting anyone."

"Too late for that," he whispered seductively.

I coughed loudly, interrupting the conversation. I wanted to be near someone I felt I could trust—Top, Charlie, Mack or Bob—it made no difference. There was a wild gleam in Sam McBride's eyes that I didn't like.

When we got to the room door, I went in quickly and tried to shut the door behind me, but he was faster. Whiplash stuck his foot in the doorway and I couldn't close it.

"Do you need help with the zipper?" he asked in a low, sultry voice.

"No. I think I've got it from here," I insisted, still trying to close the door.

Sam put his hand against it and tried to push it open. He was stronger than I was and, little by little, he inched it open wider. Suddenly, he leaned in to kiss me, but I was quicker. I dodged his kiss and slapped his face with all my might.

Surprised, he stepped backward and I took the chance of slamming the door in his face and locking the deadbolt so he couldn't get in even with a key.

It was late when Charlie came back, but I was still awake, lying in the bed. The TV was on, but all of it was in French and I could only make out a few phrases and words here and there.

"I didn't mean for you to wait up for me, baby," he told me, closing the door quietly.

It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him about what Sam had done, but Whiplash was my teammate too. Surely he wouldn't ever try anything like that again, not after the welcome I'd given him. His face was probably still smarting from my solid smack.

"I just wanted to make sure everything was all right," I lied. " You were gone for a while."

Charlie sat down on the side of the bed and took my hand in his. "You shouldn't worry about me, you know. I know how to take care of myself."

I nodded, swallowing hard. "I guess then that you'd better...come to bed." There was only one, so we were going to have to share the same bed whether we liked it or not.

"Just let me get of this awful tuxedo," he told me.

Ten minutes later, the lights were out and I was on the very edge of the bed, hardly able to keep from falling off. Still, it seemed like Charlie was only inches away, when it was really more like feet.

"Get a good night's rest, you two," Top spoke over the earpiece. "We've done enough work for one day."


	7. Unwanted Assignment

When I woke up the next morning, I felt strangely comfortable and warm. Something held me close and I opened my eyes and realized the shocking truth. Charlie and I were lying curled up together in the bed, his arm draped over me and my back against his bare chest. I tried not to gasp, but it still came out anyway.

"Easy there, Twilight," Bob's voice said through the earpiece. "He's not hurting you and it looks very...convincing. Just wait till he wakes up."

I stayed very still, listening to Cool Breeze advise me wisely. He was right, of course. I needed to keep my cover, but it was so hard being so close to the person you were so strongly attracted to.

So, I closed my eyes and tried to fall back asleep, but it didn't work. My mind was too distracted and Charles Grey was way too close to me. I could smell his cologne and feel his warm breath on the back of my neck.

As the sun rose, Cool Breeze's voice sounded in my ear softly. "It's time for you two to get up," he told me. "Wake your husband up, Elle."

I groaned inwardly, but rolled over so that I was facing Charlie. "Ari?" I called. "Sweetheart, it's time to wake up. I'm ready for breakfast."

Charlie mumbled something in his sleep and pulled me tighter against him. So tight that I found it difficult to take deep breaths.

"Wake up, baby," I insisted, trying to make him open his eyes. He seemed to be a heavy sleeper. "Ari David! Wake up now!" Even shouting at him didn't work.

Finally, I did the only thing that might wake him up. I pressed my body closer to his and my mouth firmly against his, kissing him just as passionately as he had the day before.

Charlie did wake up finally, but instead of pulling away, he rolled over on top of me, supporting his own weight, and sighed into me, our mouths once again moving in perfect harmony. I began to lose my self-control, to want this more than I should. To want his kisses, his touches, and to feel his body close to mine. I arched up against him, making a quiet noise of pleasure. His hands ran down my sides and I felt him slip on hand up under my tank top and press against the small of my back.

"Whoa, whoa, you two," Top's voice stopped us suddenly. "Don't go too far. You're not really a married couple and I'm an old-fashioned soldier."

Charlie pulled back, but grinned down at me where no one else could see. "That's a wonderful way to wake me up, darling," he whispered.

I could see it written quiet plainly on his face that he to had been swept away by the moment. I could see that he wanted more than anything to pick up right where we'd left off and continue until we were both completely worn out.

"I'm glad you liked it," I said breathlessly, my arms still around his neck.

Once we finally untangled ourselves from each other, I got out of the bed and into the shower, still cursing myself inwardly. How could I let my vulnerability show so much on my first mission? I was going to ruin my career in the Unit before it even barely got started if I kept this up. But, how was I not supposed to enjoy this mission when Charles Grey's very presence almost intoxicated me. This was worse than when I'd been a freshman in high school and had had a major crush on the star Senior football player. He had only noticed me twice, the first time being when he knocked me down in the hallway because he hadn't seen me and the second time when a football he had thrown in the parking lot missed it's intended target and hit me in the head.

When I got out of the shower, Charlie was waiting to get in. I stepped aside, my towel wrapped tightly around me, to let him in. He took my hand gently and leaned close, whispering so softly that I could barely hear him.

"Don't be embarrassed. You're not the only one who feels it, you know."

I looked up into his dark eyes, my gaze soft and gentle. "Really?" I breathed, finding it suddenly hard to keep my heart from beating irregularly.

"Yeah." He leaned in and kissed my forehead softly. "From that very first minute in the coffee shop, I knew it."

When he was dressed and I was too, we called down to have our car brought around and met it at the door. Bob was driving and McBride was in the passenger seat. I caught him watching me in the rearview mirror.

"Where are we going?" I wanted to know, looking out the window to avoid Sam's stare, which was making me self-conscious and uncomfortable.

"The safe-house," Bob replied, seeming to be the only one who wasn't lost in thought.

"Benoit isn't having us followed, is he?" I asked, glancing behind us.

"I don't think so. Snake Doc and Dirt Diver are behind us, making sure we don't have a tail."

I glanced up again and saw Whiplash was still watching me. My body stiffened; that same wild, untamed gleam was in his eyes again and I felt as if my very life was in danger, merely from being near him. We were all trained killers, yes, but I felt perfectly safe around the rest of team. More than safe, really. Protected was a better word. Without any questions, I'd gained five big brothers when I'd joined the Unit, but now it seemed that one of them had taken an inappropriate interest in me. He'd gone from big brother to the creepy, unwanted admirer.

When we arrived at the safe-house, I collapsed onto a nearby sofa, worn out with the constant suspense of our cover, my worry about Whiplash's attentions, and my alarm at my feelings towards Betty Blue.

"You two are doing an excellent job," Top told us. "Betty Blue, you made the deal with him, so now we're going to bring him in. I don't think we're going to find our who he's really working for, so lets get rid of one more terrorist in the world."

"How do you wanna do it?" Charlie asked. "Covertly, or...more publicly."

"We have to go covert," Mack pointed out, sipping a bottle of water leisurely.

"Twilight, you up for the task?" Top spoke up suddenly.

My head snapped up and I was jerked out of my distracted thoughts. "Huh? Oh, yes, sir. I'm ready."

"You seem a little distracted," Mack pointed out bluntly. "Sure you're up to it?"

I glared at him fiercely. "Yes, I am sure," I snapped.

Top looked at me and then at Mack. I saw Mack nod his head once quickly, giving his opinion to Jonas.

"All right, here's the plan. Elle, you and Whiplash are going to be working together on this one. How does that sound?"

"Sounds fine to me," Sam answered a little too quickly. Jonas didn't miss the enthusiasm in his younger officer's voice.

"You got it, Top," I replied, my voice hard and cold.


	8. Discoveredthank goodness!

Standing in the elevator of the hotel, Sam put his arms on either side of me and looked deep into my blue eyes.

"I knew I'd get my way," he whispered, reaching up and caressing my cheek with of his hands.

I had to force myself not to tremble and flinch at his touch. Instead, I made myself smile at him as if I was enjoying every moment.

"Play your part, Elle," Mack told me through the earpiece, able to hear everything that was going on. "You'll be fine."

"As long as my husband doesn't catch on to the fact that I've ditched him for you," I replied, trying to make my tone seductive and sultry.

Sam leaned in close and pressed his lips against mine roughly. I screwed my eyes shut, trying to make it look natural, and returned the kisses evenly. It seemed like Whiplash was getting everything I wanted and I was being forced to do what I had been avoiding. He forced my lips apart with his and sank his tongue greedily into my mouth.

That was it; I pushed him away with my palms. "Wait!" I cautioned him. "Just...just until we get in the hotel room." My heart was pounding frantically and I felt the need to run as far away from him as possible.

When we got to the hotel room, I led him inside hesitantly. I prayed this scheme would work; surely Benoit would want to know everything about the person he was making a business deal with.

Whiplash put his arms around my waist and picked up the kiss right where we'd left off, obviously getting everything he could out of the plan. Very suddenly, he tackled me roughly and knocked me back onto the bed.

"Told you this would be fun," he teased, running his hand down my body slowly and sensuously. For some reason, these gestures seemed wildly romantic when Charlie was the one kissing me, but when it was Sam, I felt like I was being violated in some way.

"You're gonna have to make it short today, baby. Ari will be back soon. Lunch can only last so long."

Sam began fumbling with the buttons on my shirt, but I distracted him by wrapping my arms around his neck and molding my body against his, pressing my mouth against his with all the energy in my body. We were **not** going to go that far!

Charlie and Benoit were having lunch by the pool when Benoit's cell phone rang.

"Excuse me," the Frenchman apologized, pulling the phone out of his jacket pocket. He opened it and pressed it to his ear. "Yes, what is it? Really? Of course I'll take care of it." He hung up and looked over at Charlie.

"Something wrong, Monsieur Benoit?" Charlie asked demurely, hoping that this was what he thought it was.

"Where did you say your wife was today, Monsieur David?" Benoit asked calmly, sipping his wine slowly.

"She's out shopping, with her bodyguard."

"The younger man, who could not take his eyes off of her yesterday, no?"

Charlie nodded, cutting his steak carefully. "Yes, that's right."

Benoit surveyed his new friend warily. "How much do you trust her bodyguard?"

Shrugging, Betty Blue swallowed a bite of his food. "Enough to believe that he will protect my wife. Why do you ask, sir?"

"What would you say if I told you that he was upstairs, with your wife, this very minute?" Benoit folded his hands in his lap.

Charlie took a deep breath, pretending to struggle with his composure. "Thank you for your information, Monsieur. If you'll excuse me, I need to take care of this problem."

Benoit stopped him, grabbing his arm tightly. "You do not ask my how I found out about this."

Charlie's dark eyes grew hard. "You and I both know that you keep tabs on your guests, Monsieur. Especially those you're conducting business transactions with. I don't blame you one bit."

Benoit bowed in assent, still not admitting that he had been watching his guests. "Would you like some back-up, Monsieur David? Perhaps I can be of some assistance."

Charlie looked at the Frenchman who was unknowingly playing right into his enemy's hands.

"All right, you two, here they come," Top's voice spoke into my ear as Whiplash slipped his hands beneath my shirt and began rubbing slow circles on my bare skin. "Get ready. We're going to turn their cameras off now. Get ready for Betty Blue to enter with the target."

"Cameras off in three...two...one," Mack said. "Get ready, you guys."

Reluctantly, Whiplash eased off of me and headed for the door, pulling a gun out of the back of his pants. I pulled one out of my purse and hid behind the bathroom door, waiting for Charlie to bring Benoit in.

"Do you have the drugs?" Sam asked me, looking me up and down and smiling wickedly.

I looked down and hastily began buttoning the few buttons that he'd managed to get undone. "Of course I do!" I snapped, glaring up at him, pulling the syringe out of my jeans pocket. It was tempting to drug _him,_ stuff _him_ in a duffle bag, and get out of Dodge as soon as possible.

When the door opened and Charlie walked in, followed by Benoit, Whiplash immediately put a gun to the Frenchman's head and Charlie drew his as well.

"What the hell is this?" Benoit exclaimed. "What is going on?"

Charlie nodded at me and I rapidly stuck the needle into his neck and injected the drug into his blood stream. He flinched, then sank to the floor. Sam caught him easily.

"Where's the duffle bag?" Betty Blue wanted to know, shoving his gun into the back of his pants.

"In the closet," I told him absently, trying to ignore the fact that Sam McBride was still watching me carefully. "I'll get it."

Charles Grey watched Elle rush into the large closet and bring out a large green duffle bag. She was trembling and her moves looked frightened and scared, like a puppy who'd been whipped. He observed the way Sgt. McBride watched her every move as if she belonged to him. Something was definitely wrong.

Whiplash shoved the drugged Benoit into the large duffel bag and called downstairs for a bellhop to bring a luggage cart up and get the bags while Charlie and I hurriedly threw all of our clothes into our suitcases. While the guys were loading the luggage, I pulled on a sweater over the revealing top I was wearing in an effort to get Sam's inappropriate ideas out of his head. From the glances he cast my way, I could tell that he wasn't about to lose them anytime soon.


	9. Wanna break the rules?

By the time the team reached the C-130, fueled and ready on the tarmac, Mr. Benoit was awake and we let him out of the duffel bag. He cursed us loudly in French as Mack bound his wrists with a zip-tie.

"Vous etes American, sont pas vous?" he asked us angrily.

"Anybody no how to say 'shut up' in French?" Mack growled, his manners gruff as always.

"No parle," I hissed at Benoit, trying to appear angry. Even though the man was a terrorist

"Ma copine, Vanessa?" he inquired, worried about his girlfriend.

I shook my head. "Elle est sûre, monsieur. Ne vous inquiétez pas." I assured him that she was safe and he didn't need to worry about her.

When we got on the plane, Mack drugged Benoit again and then fell asleep across from him. Top, Bob and Sam also dozed off soon after the plane was in flight. Charlie and I, however, did not.

I sat beside the small window of the large cargo plane, watching the ocean pass underneath the plane as we flew towards the freedom of the U.S. In my mind, I was desperately trying to sort out everything that was going on; my developing attraction and feelings towards Charlie and my fear of Sam. I was so lost in thought that I barely noticed when Charlie came over and sat down beside me.

"What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

I looked up at him, surprised that he realized how upset I was. Did I wear my feelings on my sleeve _that _much? "I was just thinking about the mission—some of the things that happened."

"That have anything to do with...us?" Charlie whispered, grinning impishly.

Blushing a deep shade of red, I didn't hesitate to nod. "Yeah, it does."

"Glad I'm not the only one who can't get it out of my head." With that said, he brushed the back of my palm with his fingertips. "You a rule-breaker, Twilight?"

I nodded slowly, a weary smile spreading across my face. "When it's worth it, I'll do whatever it takes."

"Now that we've decided that, why don't you tell me what else is wrong," Grey suggested.

My face fell. I wasn't sure if I should tell him what I was dwelling on. This was my problem, wasn't it? Nobody else needed to be bothered, so I just shook my head adamantly. "It's nothing," I brushed his concerns off.

"Elle Charlton." Charlie spoke my name in a strict tone I wasn't used to. "I'm ordering you to tell your superior officer what is wrong."

I sighed, laughing quietly at his last resort, then growing serious again. "There is a member of our team that seems to have an...inappropriate interest in me," I whispered.

Grey glared over at the sleeping Sam McBride and cursed quietly under his breath. "I know, Elle. Don't worry, we'll be watching him."

I nodded, comforted by the thought that my "big brothers" weren't gonna let this guy hurt me.

Top gave Charlie and me two days off, but the rest of the team headed out on another mission almost as soon as we landed. Benoit was taken away by a couple of soldiers to be interrogated and I headed back to my apartment to get some rest. The time changes were messing with me horribly.

Once I got back to my apartment, I tossed my bags in the closet and changed into a pair of gym shorts and a sports bra, and then promptly tumbled into bed and fell sound asleep.

Some time later, I was awakened by my cell phone ringing loudly on the table beside my bed.

"Wanna...go...back...to sleep," I mumbled drowsily, reaching over and picking it up off the table and pressing it to my ear. "Hello?" I answered

"Elle? It's Charlie. I didn't mean to wake you up," Grey's voice came through the phone.

I sat up and rubbed my eyes, trying to get my moisten my contacts so that they wouldn't fall out. "No, Charlie...it's okay. What time is it?" I asked, completely disoriented.

He laughed. "Jet lag, huh? It's seven-thirty. You want to go get some supper?"

I thought for a minute; The rest of the team was gone on a mission and I _was_ starting to get pretty hungry. "Yeah, sure. Have I got time to take a quick bath?"

"Go ahead. I'll be there in thirty minutes. That sound good?"

"Uh-huh," I replied, smiling at the thought of spending the evening with Charlie. "I'll be ready."

After hanging up the phone, I tossed it aside and hurried into the bathroom to run a tubful of hot water. After the long flight on the cargo plane, I needed a little freshening up before I went out with Charlie.

As I lathered myself with some Calvin Klein body-wash, I wondered vaguely what was going to happen between Charlie and me tonight. Would it just be dinner between two friends? Or, would it be more than that, especially after all that had occurred between us? Surely not. Even a guy like Charles Grey couldn't have missed the chemistry between us.

With ten minutes to spare, I hopped out of the tub and pulled my long blonde hair back into a high ponytail, then hastily re-applied a little eyeliner, eye-shadow, and blush. My hurriedly thrown together outfit consisted of a pair of faded, purposely distressed and torn jeans and a blue tank top with a white sweater.

Almost as if on cue, the doorbell rang as soon as I pulled the sweater on over my top.

"I'm coming," I called, sliding my feet into a pair of flip-flops, grabbing my bag and running to the door.

Charlie was leaning against the doorframe, waiting on me to emerge. When he saw me, he smiled widely. "You look beautiful, Elle," he told me sincerely.

I blushed and looked down at the ground, embarrassed. He caught my chin gently in between his hand and raised my face upwards so that I was looking into his eyes again.

"Time to break the rules," he whispered, leaning close. His cool, moist lips landed on mine and my eyelids fluttered shut. Oh, this was blissful!


End file.
